The present invention concerns hangers of wire construction for installation on an interior wall of a structure.
Hangers for use in the home or other buildings often include expansible members for insertion through a wall opening for load bearing contact with the back or inner side of a wall. Such hangers require a somewhat large opening to be made in the wall. Further, their installation requires some degree of skill and are not easily removed from a wall. Other wall hanger devices utilize wall inserted collets inserted into an oversize opening and which expand into load bearing contact with the wallboard or gypsum board. Other wall mounted hangers require insertion into a wall stud necessitating a certain degree of skill.
Complicating the installation and use of wall hangers is the apparently lessening quality of sheet rock (gypsum board) wall material which are presently manufactured from waste or reclaimed wallboard material. A still further drawback to know expansible wall hangers is the problem of removing a permanently mounted expansible hanger which typically entails the resurfacing of the opening area.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,302 discloses a wall hanger of xe2x80x9cstiff yet flexible wire constructionxe2x80x9d having an irregular inserted segment, a horizontal segment or segments for wall installation and exteriorly disposed vertical and horizontal segments. A further form of the wall hanger terminates in a hook. The short radius bends of the hanger would result in insertion of the hanger through a wall necessitating a wall opening of objectionable size. Further, the right angular bends of the hanger would tend to render any hole formed by insertion of the bends unsightly.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,442 discloses an insertable wall hanger of plate stock requiring a tubular sleeve be inserted in the wall opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,273,844 discloses a wall hanger or display hook for use on corrugated cardboard with large, flat load disbursing surfaces with one of said surfaces being insertable through a slot defined by the cardboard. A projection or tooth also penetrates the cardboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,854 discloses a wall mounted hanger of one piece construction having an upper end for abutment with the back side of a wall and requires a wall opening of unusual configuration with a reduced area for cooperation with a canted arm having an end for locked engagement with the area defining edges. The wall hanger is designed for use with thin panels backed by foamed insulation material. The one piece device is of thermoplastic material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,995 discloses a wall hanger having a single wall penetrating angular or curved portion terminating in engagement with the back side of a wall with a straight segment received within a wall opening. A plate member for contact with the frontal wall surface has a hook formed at its lower end. The shaped wire component is formed from a single run of wire stock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,430 discloses a wire hanger having a curved segment for contact with the back side of a wall and a downwardly turned exterior wire segment secured to a wall plate having a hook at its lower end,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,037 discloses a one piece wall hanger having a curved portion for wall insertion and abutment. A wall engaging pin is carried by an exposed portion of the molded hanger.
The present invention is embodied in wall hanger construction wherein wire is shaped to support a wide range of loads particularly on wall material commonly used in home construction
In one embodiment of the invention, a light gauge length of flexible wire is formed with a pair of arcuate segments for endwise abutment at spaced apart points with the back side of a wall. Juxtaposed straight segments occupy a wall aperture while depending straight segments are for rested engagement against the front side of the wall. Curved segments of hanger wire terminate or merge with one another at a reverted extremity of the hanger.
A heavy duty wall hanger, for example, for the support of a mirror on a wall, includes a hanger of medium gauge wire wherein arcuate segments each penetrate the wall through a separate aperture and terminate at their ends in endwise abutment with the back side of the wall. Discs on wall located straight segments of the hanger protect the wall surface and serve to reinforce the straight segments.
A further embodiment of the invention includes a wall hanger where arcuate wall segments are located rearwardly of a wall and in abutment therewith with straight segments extending through the wall and through a plate component. The two wire segments are outwardly and upwardly curved to form a first hook and subsequently are directed downwardly toward the wall surface and then again curved upwardly to provide a second or supplemental hook. Fastener means secure the second hook against applied loads.
A still further form of the wall hanger includes a pair of arcuate segments for endwise abutment with the back side of a wall with straight segments occupying separate apertures in the wall and extending outwardly therefrom and merging with hook segments of generally semicircular configuration. Continuing wire segments project downwardly and toward the wall surface to form a brace for the curved hook segments and ultimately are secured to a plate by fastening means which may protrude into the wall surface to stabilize the hanger. The hook segments may be dimensioned to receive curtain or drapery rods typically an inch or so in diameter.
A further form of hanger is adapted to support a closet or curtain rod and includes reverted wire segments and semicircular wire segments the latter receiving a rod end. Each semicircular wire segment merges with brace segments which form an eye for screw reception.
Important objectives of the present invention include the provision of a wall hanger suitable for small and medium sized articles which is made from low cost wire and installed through a single aperture in a wall member to provide spaced apart points of contact with the wall for optimum strength; the provision of a wall hanger of light gauge wire which includes arcuate segments which may be displaced toward one another for wall insertion through a single wall opening to minimize disfigurement of a wall surface; the provision of a wall hanger of medium gauge wire having arcuate segments each for penetration of the wall through separate apertures with the hanger reinforced by discs in abutment with the front side of the wall; the provision of a wall hanger having multiple hooks thereon particularly suited for supporting clothing and hats, and including a plate structure disbursing load imparted forces over the frontal surface of the wall with arcuate segments of the hanger in abutment with the rear surface of the wall; the provision of a hanger particularly suited for supporting curtain or drapery rods and having arcuate segments terminating in wall abutment and also forwardly projecting straight segments merging into curved hook segments for reception of a curtain or drapery rod. A continuation of the wire segments projects downwardly and rearwardly toward the wall surface and thereat receives a fastener securing a reverted portion of the hanger to a wall abutting plate.